On 10 January 2025, the Portuguese parliament debated a series of proposed amendments to the abortion law in a session initiated by the Socialist Party (PS). Among other changes, the PS sought to extend the upper legal time limit for an abortion, which was only 10 weeks. The left-wing parties sought to extend it to 12 weeks (PS and PCP) or 14 weeks (BE and Livre). They also wanted to end the reflection period and limit the policy on conscientious objection.
In the opposite direction were the proposals from the far right party, Chega, which proposed the possibility of pregnant women undergoing an examination to see and hear the so-called fetal heartbeat (which is not a heartbeat because the heart is not yet formed), and from CDS-PP, which wanted conscientious objecting doctors to be able to be present at all consultations prior to abortion.
Ultimately, all the proposals from all sides were rejected at the end of the debate, all the bills and draft resolutions that had been on the table — an outcome warmly welcomed only by the Catholic and Episcopal churches, Lusa reports.
SOURCE: RTP News. 15 January 2025.